We are putting on a bow thruster because we would like to be able to move
the boat into & out of tight places under a wider range of conditions, and
do less warping.


Maxprop wrote:
Contrary to what some here might claim, there is nothing unmanly or
unseamanlike about a bow thruster.

Thank you, Maxprop.

It's simply another tool in the
mariner's tool box for those who wish to make their voyages efficacious and
more hassle-free. One doesn't *need* GPS, a knot meter, a depth sounder, or
even a compass, but they make the job more efficient and enjoyable, and
that's what it's all about, no?


It's also about expanding the scale & scope of operations. For example,
you *can* run the ICW at night but having a spotlight & radar makes it a
good bit less risky. One can navigate a fogbound rocky coast without GPS
& depthsounder, but it's again more risky. At some point, people with
good sense will say "We could do that, but let's sit tight for now and
not take the chances" if only to keep the stress level down.

We obviously *could* cruise without a bow thruster... we've been doing
so for a bit over two years... but with one, it will be easier to get in
& out of places that we'd be likely to skip.

BTW warping is also very seamanlike... but it requires a bit of patience
and is likely to raise eyebrows among the uninitiated.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King